TesTwinkles Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 My school had the Ofsted inspectors in today and my Head put immense pressure on me by telling them that they would see an outstanding lesson in my YR class......and they didn't. It was Good but I'm left feeling deflated and miserable. They're coming back in the morning and I'm determined that they'll see something spectacular. HELP!! They were unimpressed by my spectacular outdoor garden centre role play although they appreciated that my children were doing some good independent activities. We're off on a trip to the local Garden Centre after break tomorrow so I'm trying to think of a WOW lesson that they can see before we go. My initial idea is to have a bag of 'magic' beans (maybe painted/glittered?) on my chair with a note addressed to my class that we can investigate. We could see if the children make the link between our beans and Jack and the Beanstalk and discuss the story. Then, outside, we coulkd find pictures to retell the story, maybe costumes to act out the story, and maybe something we could start to make a beanstalk out of? This is where I run out of ideas. Can any of you amazing creative types help me please? THANK YOU!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 No pressure there then! what did they want to see that they felt they didnt?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TesTwinkles Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 You know, Susan, that was the problem - they just told me what they didn't like...Phonics was just consolidation and didn't move their learning on and I used a plain template for making seed packets, even though I explained that this was the first day and they could be making thier own tomorrow, once they'd got the idea of how to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tinkerbell Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 so could you use one of the seed packets you made and put the sparkly seeds inside....it could be left on your chair and you could shake it and wonder what was inside....open it and ask the children what they could be? what should be on the front of the packet? what could we call the seeds? write down their ideas eg sparkle seeds,twinkle beans,....mention the phonemes as they occur.What else does the seed packet need? instructions on how to grow them...show the children where to write this on the packet.,perhaps show real example..refer to your trip in the afternoon where the children will see lots of packets of different seeds. have a tuff spot with pots and soil outside for children to plant the seeds table with the makings of the packets as you told Ofsted the children were going to make the packets...perhaps a challenge on a small whiteboard Can you put 10 beans in your packet? perhaps a container of mixed seeds/beans ,magnifiers, tweezers...children may sort into different pots??? Tinkerbellx anyway good luck x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 If you are doing seeds etc - ask them what they would like to find out about seeds and see what they already know. Its good practice to contract with the children asking them what they want to learn - it makes it easier to go with their learning and you can keep visiting your list to see if you are addressing their learning requests. They will prob come up with - what they need to grow, what size are they, what are seeds like inside etc. It also gives you a chance when you start a new topic to assess their current knowledge instead of assuming what they may/may not know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Great ideas tinkerbell. Couldn't think of much more! the children could create different pictures using different media to show what they think the seeds may grow into it would be good to use different types of magic seeds so when they grow they are all different and then they could compare plants etc. They could imagine their own worlds that they could find up the beanstalk and make up their own stories and characters? Anyway hope everything goes well try and enjoy it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Lovely ideas here already but please don't be upset with 'good', since when was that not enough? In any case it's not about that one lesson which the inspectors see but about you and your long term relationships with the children. My advice would be to just relax and try to focus on them and not on the inspectors. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KST Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Totally know how you feel as had a similar experience with ofsted recently! Good luck tomorrow! Great ideas already give so not much to add but I'm doing Jack and the Beanstalk at the moment and the children wrote their own version of the story on large green leaves which they added to a giant beanstalk (with help) up to the ceiling with big giants legs hanging down! Maybe you could put some leaves in the writing area and suggest children write their own story? I think that if your continuous provision is good then you will know the children are learning! xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 How did you get on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TesTwinkles Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 Thank you for all your ideas, help and support. My class and I really enjoyed my lesson this morning...and the Ofsted Inpsector judged it..... Outstanding!!! Thank you everyone for giving me the courage to just go for what I knew they (the children) would enjoy and learn from and which just happened to be something Ofsted appreciated too. Now I'm going to try and get an early night and maybe find out what it feels like to have a good night's sleep!! Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Well done hope you get a really good night's sleep and then enjoy the rest of this week. Nicky Sussex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Well done! Was wondering how it went. Spill the beans what did you do in the end? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TesTwinkles Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 Hee hee - I did spill the beans and they (and the glitter) went all over the carpet! OK - Had large box wrapped in gold paper on my chair with label 'A special present for ....Class' on my chair when we came in. Had to go through whole rigmarole with TA about 'Was that there when you came in?....I haven't seen it beofre'..... sort of thing or my children wouldn't have noticed at all! Children passed the box around, speculating about what might be inside. Then, after discussing whether it was light or heavy and what might be inside, I opened it to reveal a small box containing a pouch and......5 beans with green glitter and a clue. My TA, while doing her morning risk assessment, had placed some clues and objects around the school - a soft toy cow, a chicken, a gold egg and a large pair of wellies. The treasure hunt was a huge success even though I was surprised that they didn't work out the story! We took the clues and objects back to our playground where we worked out the story was Jack and the Beanstalk and we 'found' dressing up clothes for acting out the story (really popular), pictures for sequencing, beans and seeds for sorting, compost and seed trays for planting beans in and junk modelling for making a beanstalk! The children loved it all and then, in the afternoon, they wrote captions to go with the pictures and they were terrific!! Can't wait to do more tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 well done!!! xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Well done. You're very lucky to have all those resources at your fingertips too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 What a lovely experience for your children - might have to borrow that idea! Well done you. Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Sounds lovely, I hope OFSTED were suitably impressed! I'm also now wishing I could lay my hands on such resources at a moment's notice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 sounds super, lovely to hear about all your enthusiastic ideas, congrats again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freefaller Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Brilliant ideas! Well done for not giving up. Your children are very lucky to have such exciting experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tinkerbell Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 well done you sound to have had a wonderful day despite Ofsted being there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KST Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Well done sounds amazing! Might have to steal your fabulous idea! xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts